Bernd Becher
author · photographer
Bernd Becher (1931–2007) was a prominent German conceptual artist and photographer, renowned for his pioneering work in industrial photography. Working primarily as a duo with his wife, Hilla Becher, he developed a unique methodology of documenting industrial structures, such as blast furnaces, cooling towers, and coal bunkers, through a systematic approach of 'typologies'. His work is characterized by a straightforward, objective point of view, utilizing large-format cameras to capture the structural patterns and formal qualities of industrial buildings, many of which dated to the 19th century. A significant figure in contemporary art, he founded the 'Düsseldorf School of Photography' and taught at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, influencing a generation of acclaimed documentary photographers like Andreas Gursky and Thomas Struth. He received prestigious awards, including the Erasmus Prize and the Hasselblad Award.[1,2,3]
- industrial architecture
- typology
- New Objectivity
- topography
- sculpture
Books
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Blast Furnaces€210.00
Works by Bernd Becher
- 1990 Blast Furnaces Co-authored with Hilla Becher
- 1970 Anonyme Skulpturen : Eine Typologie technischer Bauten Typologies of industrial buildings
- 1977 Framework Houses Visual catalog of types of structures
- 1988 Water Towers Part of a series of industrial typologies
Exhibitions
- 1981 Becher & Hilla Becher
- 2008 Bernd and Hilla Becher
Awards
- 2002 Erasmus Prize
- 2004 Hasselblad Award